Dr. Donald A. Rakow

Associate Professor, Horticulture, Cornell University

Donald A. Rakow is an associate professor of horticulture in the School of Integrative Plant Science at Cornell University. Dr. Rakow also served as the E.N. Wilds Executive Director of Cornell Plantations from 1996 – 2014. He is also the co-director of the Cornell Master of Professional Studies Program in Public Garden Leadership, and teaches the course, ‘Public Garden Management.’

Dr. Rakow is the co-author, along with Ms. Sharon Lee, of the seminal text, ‘Public Garden Management’ (Wiley & Sons, 2011). He, Ms. Lee, and Prof. Meghan Gough of Virginia Commonwealth University, are co-authors of the upcoming text, ‘Public Gardens and Community Revitalization’ (Cornell University Press, 2018). Dr. Rakow has written frequently for ‘Public Garden’ magazine, and served for many years as the chair of the Editorial Advisory Group of the American Public Gardens Association (APGA). For his many efforts on behalf of this association and the field of public gardens, Dr. Rakow has received the APGA Service Award (2009) and Award of Merit (2015).